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August 14-16, 2017 | Toronto, Canada
BRAIN DISORDERS AND DEMENTIA CARE
4
th
International Conference on
Neurosurg, an open access journal
ISSN: 2471-9633
Cytotoxic brain tissue edema after traumatic brain injury - A new hypothesis to its etiology
Hans von Holst
Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
C
ytotoxic brain tissue edema, which is found in both
grey and white matter cells, is a complicated secondary
consequence to ischemic injury following cerebral diseases
such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke. To some
extent the pathophysiological mechanisms are known,
however far from complete. A new hypothesis regarding
the etiology to cytotoxic brain edema is presented. The
hypothesis is that external energy due to TBI and internal
energy due to mechanical forces following stroke results in
the disruption of non-covalent and covalent bonds in protein
and nucleotide structures. The unfolded proteins attract
water molecules while the disruption of nucleotides such
as adenosine-tri-phosphates causes a dysfunction in ion
hemostasis and which may tentatively explain the etiology
to cytotoxic edema. Our studies using computer models
shows that the kinetic energy following an impact to the
head has the potential to break the chemical bonds in the
protein and nucleotide structures resulting in cytotoxic brain
tissue edema. Since folding of mature proteins is very much
dependent on normal energy supply, the protein synthesis
cannot continue during the ischemic process. Under such
conditions very little of the energy rich ATP can be produced
and which may result in disturbance between extra- and
intra-cellular ion metabolism. The present hypothesis has
the potential to develop new drugs for therapeutic use.
Speaker Biography
Hans von Holst received his Medical Doctor’s degree in 1976 and Specialist in
Neurosurgery (1982) at Karolinska University Hospital. In 1985, he earned his PhD and
Associate Professorship in Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institute.
During 1991-1996, he was appointed as Chairman of the Dept. of Neurosurgery and
Division Manager of the Neuroclinics at Karolinska University Hospital, respectively. In
1995, he became Professor in Neuroengineering at the Royal Institute of Technology.
He has published around 140 original papers in reputed journals, reviews and books
and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member in several journals.
e:
hvh@cenesy.comHans von Holst, Neurosurg 2017, 2:2
DOI: 10.21767/2471-9633-C1-005